Contractors

Thriving Turner celebrates somber centennial

For industry stalwart The Turner Corp., Dallas, the last 10 months have truly been the best of times and the worst of times. The New York native's joy over record revenue in 2001 and its milestone centennial birthday this year have been tempered by its prominent role in clearing one Ground Zero quadrant.

There, subsidiary Turner Construction Co., still based in Manhattan, toiled tirelessly through the winter to deliver last month its part of the 16-acre former World Trade Center site. Stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks, it was a job that touched the whole company. "Our entire organization took pride in our response and in the fact that we were called to Ground Zero at the very earliest stages," says Chairman and CEO Thomas C. Leppert.

Noting that the company has also been active in repairs at the Pentagon, Leppert says the experiences illustrate how the firm's evolution has paralleled the tragedies and triumphs of the U.S. during the last century. At internal celebrations across the U.S., Leppert has made it a point to tell employees how tied in they are to the collective American experience. This, despite the fact that Turner was purchased in 1999 by German giant Hochtief AG.

To honor its founder and his creation's ensuing industry contributions, Turner and the National Building Museum this spring established the Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology. At a Washington, D.C., gala in May, the first-ever prize went to renowned structural engineer Leslie E. Robertson, who burst on the scene 30 years ago with his daring work on the new World Trade Center in New York.

History books aside, Turner's financial books were bulging last year. Overall, in response to our annual GIANTS survey, the firm reported $6.5 billion in 2001 building revenue for the commercial, industrial and institutional markets. The total once again made Turner No. 1 in our contractors category, a title it has held tight since 1978.